The Shawano County Board voted unanimously Wednesday to merge the existing social services and community programs departments into a single human services department to streamline efficiency in vital services. The merger takes effect Jan. 1. “It is time for Shawano County to form a human services department,” County Board Chairman Jerry Erdmann said prior to the vote.

Poverty was identified as a key factor affecting the overall health of residents of Shawano and Menominee counties at a meeting this week in Shawano. The Community Health Improvement Plan meeting Wednesday at the Shawano County Courthouse was part of a community health assessment conducted every five years by the Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department.

It has been described as a snapshot of performance and a way to measure what makes a school a vibrant place to learn.

Earth work was scheduled to begin this week at Oconto Falls High School for an athletic field and nine-lane track, built with referendum funding approved by voters in August. The Oconto Falls School Board on Sept. 15 selected a $315,000 stadium seating proposal from JW Industries, of Green Bay.

A piece of history over 6 feet round and positioned 90 feet above the ground was restored last week in Oconto. Although the Oconto County Courthouse clock still might look like an antique, with its cast-iron grid work and Roman numerals, the four-faced clock has been updated with state-of-the-art gears and digital controls to keep perfect time. The clock was initially installed in 1907 and refurbished in 1952 or 1953, according to Kevin Noack, he

A new logo adopted by the village of Suring features an easily recognizable landmark, the old state Highway 32 bridge, located in Riverside Memorial Park as part of a wetland nature walk. The Village Board on Sept. 9 approved a community revitalization plan, which included the new logo. The logo will be painted on the water tower and displayed on stationery, village vehicles and the village website.

Gillett School District residents will get some relief on their December tax bills, based on the levy approved at the annual meeting Wednesday.

The Gillett School District tapped a variety of sources to purchase a computer numerical control (CNC) router machine with software. The 4-by-8-foot Camaster Stinger III with vacuum table cost $20,780.

Sept.